CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — It's not the average vending machine; it's a community-based project called Good Things Vending, and it's this week's Made in Chicago.
"I take full-sized snack vending machines and convert them to vend local art, vintage and nostalgia items — and a practical thing here and there," said Good Things Vending Founder Steph Krim.
Krim said it all started when she found and bought her first vending machine through Craigslist.
"I thought it was a really cool way to collaborate with people," she said. "Each machine is painted by a local artist to fit the location that it's in. The goal is to make something unexpected, create an opportunity for artists to have their work out in the public and have it be easily accessible."
She said many of us walk past vending machines every day without taking notice, but the several Good Things Vending machines around Chicago are different.
"Everything has to be $20 and under, it has to be around the size of a bag of chips or a candy bar," said Krim. "It's so fun to see what people do, to see how creative people are."
Krim admitted that jumping into the business was intimidating, but it's turned into something that she's grateful for each day.
"I'm learning every day," she said. "It's scary, and it's vulnerable, and I think if you can go into it knowing that, maybe it'll make it a little easier, I hope."
On social media and online, find more at goodthingsvending.com.
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